Patient Services Specialist

American Oncology Network•Houston, TX

7d•$16 - $27

About The Position

The Patient Services Specialist (PSS) provides front-end patient support by managing patient intake, scheduling, medical records, and financial transactions while ensuring accurate documentation and high-quality customer service. Duties may vary by office size, layout, and staffing model, and may include cross-coverage across functional stations as needed. The position supports Patient Services operations including check-in, check-out, medical records, and fax-server functions. It may also provide coverage across locations and assist with training and onboarding staff.

Requirements

High school diploma.
At least one year of experience in a healthcare setting.
Demonstrated customer-service focus, attention to detail, and ability to multitask.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills with diverse populations.
Critical-thinking, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, multi-site environment.
Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Nice To Haves

Associate degree preferred.
Physician-office experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Greet patients and caregivers professionally and provide a welcoming, supportive experience.
Check in patients according to clinic policy, verify identity using AON Patient I.D. standards, and document arrival status and location in the EMR.
Verify, update, and maintain patient demographic information at required intervals.
Collect, document, and post patient payments and co-pays; issue receipts and notify a Financial Counselor when a patient cannot pay.
Ensure required patient forms and medical history documentation are completed.
Respond to inbound calls, route calls, and accurately document messages in the EMR.
Schedule and manage appointments for new patients, follow-ups, treatments, referrals, outside testing, and hospital admissions according to physician orders.
Maintain physician schedules according to preferences, capacity limits, and clinic policies, and proactively resolve scheduling conflicts.
Coordinate physician schedule changes, meetings, vacations, conferences, and drug representative visits.
Assign new patients to clinicians according to office guidelines and maintain assignment records.
Contact patients about missed appointments, document outreach, and reschedule as appropriate.
Document and relay hospital consults, messages, and urgent information to physicians and designated care team members.
Manage answering-service activation and deactivation and retrieve messages according to clinic hours and emergency call policies.
Create, maintain, and update patient charts in EMR and billing systems for new, follow-up, and hospital consult patients.
Assemble and verify new-patient and hospital follow-up records and obtain missing documentation from referring providers, facilities, or labs.
Process, file, and distribute faxes, mail, courier deliveries, and electronic documents accurately and promptly.
Respond to medical-record requests from patients, providers, and authorized third parties in accordance with policy and HIPAA requirements.
Coordinate legal and subpoena-related chart requests with corporate teams and external vendors as required.
Maintain EMR, fax servers, and document-management systems, ensuring records are accurate, complete, and properly categorized.
Verify patient identifiers before filing records and promptly resolve misfiled documentation.
Collect and post patient payments, log transactions in required systems and reports, and prepare daily close documentation, deposits, and trial closes.
Balance cash drawers and handle funds according to established procedures.
Notify Financial Counselors of insurance changes, STAT scheduling needs, or hospital admissions that affect billing or collections.
Distribute reports, schedules, and documentation to appropriate departments, including EDI and the Business Office, according to protocol.
Comply with federal, state, and local requirements related to patient care, privacy, billing, safety, and records retention, and adhere to AON policies, procedures, IT standards, and disaster-recovery requirements.
Perform assigned duties across Patient Services stations, including Check-In, Check-Out, Medical Records, and Fax Server.
Provide coverage for absences, lunches, vacations, and staffing needs across locations.
Assist with training and onboarding new Patient Services staff.
Maintain organized workspaces, safeguard equipment, and protect confidential patient and employee information.
Support multi-site operations and work at alternate AON locations as business needs require.